Prakasham barrage
Encyclopedia
The impressive structure of the Prakasam Barrage stretches 1223.5 meter long across the Krishna River
connecting Krishna and Guntur
districts. The barrage
serves also as a road bridge and spans over a panoramic lake. The three canals associated with the barrage, run through the city of Vijayawada
criss crossing it and giving it a Venetian appearance.
The idea of constructing a barrage across Krishna dates back to 1798. But it took some shape in the hands of captain Buckle and was revised in 1839 and 1841 by captain Best and captain Lake. After the endorsement of Major Cotton, the board of Directors of East India Company
approved it on 5 January 1850. The barrage was started in 1852 and completed in 1855. Later the State Government constructed a new regulator cum-round bridge that was named after Sri Tanguturi Prakasam
, the first Chief Minister of Andhra (A State formed in 1953, which later became Andhra Pradesh in 1956 after the merger of Telugu speaking districts of former Hyderabad State). Completed in 1957 it helps irrigating over 12 lakh
(1.2 Million) acres of land. One of the first major irrigation projects of South India
, the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada was completely successful in its mission.
Andhra Pradesh largely owes its richness in agriculture to the Prakasam Barrage as the project has helped in the irrigation of huge agricultural lands. The barrage provides gorgeous view with the shimmering lake. The balmy breeze and the placid waters make it one of the major travel attractions in Vijayawada. It is the largest in the Asian continent .
Krishna River
The Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India, about . It is also referred to as Krishnaveni in its original nomenclature...
connecting Krishna and Guntur
Guntur
Guntur , is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately to the south of the national capital, New Delhi and south east of state capital, Hyderabad. Guntur is the fourth largest city in Andhra...
districts. The barrage
Barrage (dam)
A barrage is a type of dam which consists of a line of large gates that can be opened or closed to control the amount of water passing the dam. The gates are set between flanking piers which are responsible for supporting the water load...
serves also as a road bridge and spans over a panoramic lake. The three canals associated with the barrage, run through the city of Vijayawada
Vijayawada
Vijayawada is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, India, located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about from the state capital Hyderabad.Vijayawada literally...
criss crossing it and giving it a Venetian appearance.
The idea of constructing a barrage across Krishna dates back to 1798. But it took some shape in the hands of captain Buckle and was revised in 1839 and 1841 by captain Best and captain Lake. After the endorsement of Major Cotton, the board of Directors of East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
approved it on 5 January 1850. The barrage was started in 1852 and completed in 1855. Later the State Government constructed a new regulator cum-round bridge that was named after Sri Tanguturi Prakasam
Tanguturi Prakasam
Tanguturi Prakasam Pantulu was an Indian politician and Freedom Fighter and the first Chief Minister of the Indian province Andhra state...
, the first Chief Minister of Andhra (A State formed in 1953, which later became Andhra Pradesh in 1956 after the merger of Telugu speaking districts of former Hyderabad State). Completed in 1957 it helps irrigating over 12 lakh
Lakh
A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...
(1.2 Million) acres of land. One of the first major irrigation projects of South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, the Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada was completely successful in its mission.
Andhra Pradesh largely owes its richness in agriculture to the Prakasam Barrage as the project has helped in the irrigation of huge agricultural lands. The barrage provides gorgeous view with the shimmering lake. The balmy breeze and the placid waters make it one of the major travel attractions in Vijayawada. It is the largest in the Asian continent .